I recently found out that a friend whom I haven't seen in well over a year is a fan of my blog. I found this out because I was talking with her husband, and he said that she loves to read my blog. Then he said something that I'm still contemplating several days later. He said that his wife is really impressed by me . . . because I have three small kids AND I still manage to brush my hair. I don't know how she can be so certain that I brush my hair, since she never sees me, but she's right: I do, usually at least once a day.
I know, it's amazing, isn't it?
After my friend's husband told me this, I felt compelled to make a confession, lest my friend get the impression that everything is perfect around here. I do brush my hair regularly . . . but . . . washing it is another matter. 
First of all, up until I asked my husband to trim it about a week and a half ago, my hair hung a good six inches past my waist. Even now that it's only waist length, it's still a lot of hair to wash, and it's a real pain to dry. The whole process takes close to an hour (longer if I let it air dry), and I can only do it 1) when my husband is home to watch the kids or 2) after all the kids are asleep for the night. The first option doesn't happen all that often, and usually by the time the second option is a reality, the last thing I want to do is mess with wet hair. So that leaves me with the less-than-ideal third option.
Option three means that I take the 1-year-old into the shower with me, and I leave the bathroom door open so that I can hear if the 2-year-old starts to scream because the 4-year-old is molesting him. (On a side note, if I were making a list of the simple pleasures that I really miss from my life before kids, the ability to take a shower with the bathroom door closed would be near the top.)
Because of the hassle, for the first six months or so after the birth of a new baby, I don't bother to wash my hair more than once a week. (But I do make sure to wash it as soon as I go into labor. The picture above shows me with freshly-washed hair, breathing through a contraction while I await the arrival of child #3.) It's convenient that I don't really need to wash my hair more than once a week for several months after childbirth. Once my body chemistry starts to return to normal, however, I make a heroic effort to wash it twice a week, but it doesn't always happen. As a result, I've become an expert at hiding greasy roots. My favorite method is to pull all my hair into a tight ponytail, but my sister has a great idea that I have yet to try. One of her pictures on Facebook shows her looking super hip wearing a cute baseball cap with her hair in a low ponytail threaded through the hole in the back of the hat. When a friend commented to complement her on her stylish appearance, my sister responded that the only reason she wore the hat was because she really, really needed to wash her hair!
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Photo courtesy of Oksana Diachenko.
6 replies on “A Confession”
less frequent hair washing is supposed to be good for your hair actually. 🙂 so I just tell myself, I'm being healthy!
But if I need a little help, I keep a squirt bottle of water mixed with a little conditioner in my bathroom. A few squirts through my hair in the morning and a scrunch or two and I'm all set. no washing required. (of course, I've got curly hair… but I hear a little baby powder or cornstarch in your scalp and a good brushing works well for dry shampooing straight hair)
but I've been known to employ a cute crocheted hat too on a bad hair day.
as a mom of four daughters, my time is precious.
I’d never heard the cornstarch tip–I think I’ll have to try it! Thanks for the advice!
re: greasy hair, Cassie Vawter has a trick she has taught to teammates when they go out on a missions trip and water is not readily available t owash wone's hair..baby powder apparently gets rid of the grease..write to Cassie and ask her…:)..but the baseball cap theory works well too and perhaps simpler 🙂
The baby powder works! I tried it on my greasy hair this morning, and it’s still tolerable this evening! It’s a great trick to know!
Love it, Sharon! 🙂 You sound like a REAL mom!! As for the baseball cap (or any other type of hat), that’s my tried-and-true method to disguise the hair that needs trimming/washing/brushing :)))) Works like a charm every time 😉
Thanks for stopping by, Oksana! I’m learning about so many people who use the baseball cap method. It makes me think that I should go out and find myself a cute baseball cap this next spring! On second thought, perhaps not, as it’s not a common fashion statement in Ukraine, and I try not to brand myself as a foreigner. But it’s still a great idea. 🙂 How many kids do you have?